Francisco Lindor could not have picked a better time to get his first extra base hit as a left-handed batter.
Lindor snapped a 4-4 tie with a huge, two run home run in the seventh inning as the Mets scored a 9-4 win over the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium Friday night for their fifth consecutive win.
The Mets have won 11 of 14 since their 0-5 start. They also have five wins in their last six games at Chavez Ravine and are now 5-2 on the road.
This game would not qualify for web gems as the teams combined for five errors and it was a throwing error by Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts that helped set up Lindor’s biggest hit of the season.
“It was pretty big,” Mets Manager Carlos Mendoza said. “For him to come through in that situation after we lost the lead. In the seventh, obviously, it was huge.”
After Brandon Nimmo struck out against Dodgers’ reliever and loser Daniel Hudson, Marte reached when Betts’ throw pulled first-baseman Freddie Freeman off the bag.
After Marte stole second, Lindor got a 3-2 hanging breaking ball and drove it into the right field stands to give the Mets a 6-4 lead. The Mets shortstop was 5 for 55 left handed coming into the at bat.
“I like the at bats as of late from the left side,” Mendoza said. “He’s [Lindor] controlling the strike zone, he’s making good contact, the swing decisions are better. We saw it today with the results.”
The home run was also his first hit of the season with a runner in scoring position and his first extra base hit against a right handed pitcher.
“It was one of those situations I’ve just been missing the baseball by half an inch or centimeters and I was finally able to square one up,” Lindor said after the game on the field with SNY’s Steve Gelbs.
The Mets have been waiting for a break out from their shortstop but he appreciated that they had his back. “My teammates are amazing and the coaches are outstanding,” Lindor said. “They’ve been picking me up and sticking with me. The ovations, those things have been incredible.”
Brooks Raley, Adam Ottavino and Jake Diekman finished it off with three innings of scoreless relief as the Mets bullpen continued to be a bright spot.
The Mets got to Dodgers’ starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto for four runs (three earned) to take a 4-0 lead after three.
The Mets broke the ice in the second inning. With one out, D.J. Stewart saw one pitch from Yamamoto and lined it over the right field wall for his third home run and a 1-0 lead.
Francisco Alvarez reached on an infield single and went to second on a throwing error by Dodgers’ catcher Will Smith. As he turned for second, Alvarez slipped and braced himself with his left hand, but he injured his left thumb on the play. Alvarez stayed in the game and scored the Mets’ second run on Harrison Bader’s RBI single, but he was lifted for Omar Narvaez to start the bottom of the second.
The Mets added two in the third inning on an RBI single by Pete Alonso and a sacrifice fly by Stewart, who had two hits and three RBIs.
The Mets were getting good swings against Yamamoto’s fastball that seemed to lack life. “I thought overall, a really good approach up and down the line,” Mendoza said.
Mets starter Sean Manaea struggled with his command for a second straight outing but he managed to get through five innings (4H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 Ks) with a 4-2 lead.
Reid Garrett came on to start the sixth and was victimized by the Mets’ defense, particularly third baseman Joey Wendle who made two errors that led to a pair of unearned runs that tied the game.
Smith led off the inning and reached when Wendle booted a routine grounder. With one out, Wendle’s throwing error got past Jeff McNeil at second, putting runners on first and third.
Garrett, who did get the win after all, hit Andy Pages to load the bases but he struck out pinch-hitter Max Muncy. However, the struggling Chris Taylor lined a two out, two run single to left to tie the game at four before Lindor’s heroics in the seventh.
Starling Marte’s two run single in the eighth made it an 8-4 game and the Mets added one more in the ninth on an RBI single by Stewart that scored Lindor who beat the throw home. The Dodgers challenged the call but it was upheld and the Mets had a five run lead heading to the bottom of the ninth.
Bader matched a career high with four hits while the Mets 7, 8 and 9 hitters (McNeil, Bader and Wendle) were a combined 7 for 14 with two runs scored.
The win was tarnished by the Alvarez injury so the Mets will hold their collective breath until they know more. “I’m pretty concerned, I’m not going to lie,” Mendoza said. “He’s getting an MRI right now. He was in pain, so you know I’m worried about that.”